Some additional 97th Assembly forum notes

Another party’s over, and I’m left here cold sober… Oh wait, that was the AA meeting over in the other hallway. Instead the lovely Doreen from Waukesha and I were at the Schmuki-Kramer candidate forum at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Waukesha. Joining us for the evening was my brother Erik. You can read most of the fun here.

Just a few additional thoughts:

No major Kramer gaffe tonight. I squirmed in my chair a bit when he started talking about criminals earning the right to be killed via the death penalty. I think a few in the crowd were horrified when Bill said he supported the concept of letting 8 year olds go hunting with parental guidance. (I wasn’t. I think my nephews started hunting rattlesnakes at that age.) Bill’s answer on the death penalty definitely comes across as unrehearsed. On the other hand, his answer on the gay marriage ban was realtively smooth. Hard to tell if it was just more rehearsed or if he was just more comfortable by that point in the evening.

Silly candidate forum moment #1:On the question of concealed carry, Bill Kramer pointed me out to the crowd and asked me if it was 47 or 48 states that had some form of concealed carry. I wanted to hide under my chair. Bill, I have a notebook in hand. I’m trying to write here, not be the answer man.

Silly candidate forum moment #2: On the question of reducing the minimum age for hunting, Kramer had a question regarding whether the legislation called for adult supervision (it does). The audience member who wrote the question didn’t speak up, so I played answer man from the back of the room again.

Silly candidate forum moment #3:Steve Schmuki claimed at the end of the evening he once considered himself “a fiscal conservative.” This was after Schmuki defended every spending scheme by saying either “it’s what a compassionate Wisconsin” would do or he would equate spending with services. He even called for universal coverage in health care.

Look Schmuki, you want to know what a fiscal conservative looks like? Alicia Silva from the Waukesha Taxpayers League was there. Now she qualifies as a fiscal conservative. You? Not so much.

Afterwards, a quick caucus of the Wigdersons produced the following results: Schmuki won on style points, but Kramer was right on the issues.